I live with an Eagle Scout who is very mechanically inclined. Whatever I can't do on that list (which isn't much), he can, or he can teach me how to do it. Really, though, I have my mother to thank. Before I was allowed to drive the car as a teenager, I had to show her I knew how to check the fluids, belts, and hoses; that I knew how to change a tire; and that I knew how to drive in the snow. This kind of preparedness and her attitude of "you better know how to do it yourself because no one else is going to do it for you" touches a lot of different areas, not just the automotive one.
One easy way for people to check off some of the things on that list is to take a first aid/CPR class
